Lifting tongs

ABSTRACT

Lifting tongs have curved link members with clamp pads attached to the ends thereof that close upon the object to be lifted, such as a pipe section, when a lifting hook exerts an upward force while positioned in one end portion of a slot in the body portion of the tongs. The clamp pads open to release the object being held upon movement of the lifting hook to the opposite end portion of the slot. Manual fastening of the clamping pads to the object being lifted and manual releasing thereof are avoided, facilitating the convenient transport of the object from one location to another, such as the placement of pipe in a ditch at a construction site. The tongs can be adapted for lifting nonround objects as well as round objects.

United States Patent Larson et a].

[54] LIFTING TONGS [72] Inventors: Clarence E. Larson, Columbus; Harold G. Schneider, Westerville,

both of Ohio [73] Assignee: Martin Marietta Corporation, New

York, N.Y.

[22] Filed: April 28, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 138,111

[451 Oct. 10,1972

Primary Examiner-Evon C. Blunk Assistant Examiner-Johnny D. Cherry Attorney-John A. Crowley, Jr. and Charles N. Shane,Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT Lifting tongs have curved link members with clamp pads attached to the ends thereof that close upon the object to be lifted, such as a pipe section, when a lifting hook exerts an upward force while positioned in one end portion of a slot in the body portion of the tongs. The clamp pads open to release the object being held upon movement of the lifting hook to the opposite end portion of the slot. Manual fastening of the clamping pads to the object being lifted and manual releasing thereof are avoided, facilitating the convenient transport of the object from one location to another, such as the placement of pipe in a ditch at a construction site. The tongs can be adapted for lifting non-round objects as well as round objects.

25 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures LIFTING TONGS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION gripping and release of the object to be moved is facilitated.

2. Description of the Prior Art In almost all aspects of everyday activity, there is a constant need for transporting objects from one location to another, and a corresponding need for simpler and more convenient devices for accomplishing such transport. In many circumstances, portable lifting devices are employed to grip objects for elevation and movement from one position to another. For example, pipe sections deposited by trucks or other means at a job site are frequently moved into proper place in a construction ditch by means of a suitable lifting device in preference to such positioning by means of manual labor. Such lifting devices should desirably require as little manual assistance, in terms of time and effort, as possible-so as to render the pipe or other object placement as inexpensive and as rapid as possible.

In the application specifically referred to, various commercially available devices have been used to transport pipe and other objects and for placement of such pipe in construction ditches or other somewhat awkward positions from a placement viewpoint. Thus, various scissor-type devices and crescent-type pipe tongs are available in which the pipe or other object to be lifted is clamped, locked or otherwise secured within the clamping members by manual manipulation thereof prior to lifting by means of such devices. Crescent pipe tongs, for example, have two half moon sections with a lockdown device that is manually secured to firmly hold the pipe for lifting. When devices of this type are used for such purposes as the placement of a pipe in a ditch or the removal therefrom, it is necessary for an operator to enter the ditch to fasten or unfasten the clamping device from the pipe, while another operator is occupied outside the ditch to properly position the tongs for gripping and lifting the pipe or other object. Even though a mechanized lifting device is employed in such cases, therefore, two operators are required to accomplish the desired lifting of the object.

In all such lifting and positioning operations, it is highly desirable to reduce the number of operators required to carry out a desired lifting operation. Reductions in the manpower, time and expense are highly important in that such savings in the basic tasks of object placement serve to render the overall project of which such placement is a part more economical and commercially feasible than would be the case in the absence of such labor saving devices.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide improved lifting tongs.

It is another object of the invention to provide lifting tongs that facilitate the lifting of objects for transport from one location to another.

It is another object of the invention to provide lifting tongs especially suited for the lifting of round objects.

It is another object to provide lifting tongs especially suited for the lifting of non-round objects.

It is a further object of the invention to provide lifting tongs in which the manual effort required in the operation thereof is minimized.

It is a further object of the invention to provide lifting tongs that, without manual assistance, can grip and release an object to be transported.

With these and other objects in mind, the present invention is hereinafter described in detail, the novel features thereof being particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The lifting tongs of the present invention have gripping members adapted for ready movement between an object-gripping closed position and an open position in which the object is released. Such movement between open and closed positions is achieved simply by movement of a lifting member from one end of a longitudinally extending slot to the other in a body member to which the gripping members are secured at opposite ends thereof. One such member is connected directly to the body member beneath the longitudinal slot, while the other member is connected to an intermediate member that is, in turn, connected to the body member beneath the longitudinal slot in the end thereof opposite that at which the first member is secured. The gripping members, which may have clamp pads attached to the ends thereof, are positioned so as to cross one another, with the lower portions thereof curved so as to permit the free lower ends thereof, or the clamping pads attached thereto, to be positioned to grip the object to be lifted. The lifting tongs can be adapted to be particularly useful for lifting round objects, such as pipe sections, or non-round objects, with the free ends of the gripping members contacting the object to be lifted.

The movement of the tongs between open and close positions is achieved by the pivotal movement that occurs as a result of the upward force of the lifting member positioned at one end of the slot in the body member. For this purpose, four pivot points are pro vided. The first gripping member is thus pivotally connected to the body member, as is the intermediate member. The other gripping member is also pivotally connected to the opposite end of the intermediate member, and the two gripping members are pivotally connected at the point at which said gripping members cross. Positioning the lifting member in the end of the slot toward which the first gripping member is attached produces a lifting force causing the gripping members to pivot to an open position, whereas the lifting force caused by lifting the tongs from the opposite end of the slot causes the gripping members to rotate toward each other and thus to close on the object to be lifted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is hereinafter described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing the lifting tongs of the present invention with the lifting member positioned so as to cause said tongs to assume an open position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing said lifting tongs with the lifting member positioned so as to cause said tongs to assume a closed position gripping the round object to be lifted.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the invention adapted for the gripping of nonround objects and positioned so as to cause the lifting tongs to assume a closed position gripping a non-round object to be lifted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As shown in the drawings, the body member of the novel lifting tongs of the invention is designated by the numeral I. Said body member 1 has a longitudinally ex tending slot 2 extending from one end portion thereof to the other. One end portion 3 of slot 2 extends upward toward the top portion of body member 1 at one end thereof, and the other end portion 4 extends upward in a similar manner at the other end of slot 2. Said slot 2 and end portions 3 and 4 thereof are adapted to retain lifting member 5 therein for sliding movement thereof between said end portions 3 and 4 and for lifting the tongs by the upward force and movement of lifting member 5 by conventional power means, not shown, connected thereto.

Positioned under longitudinal slot 2 toward the end thereof at which end portion 3 is located is a first link member 6, which extends downwardly from beneath said slot 2 to a lower curved portion 6a thereof as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The curvature of said portion 6a is such that the lower end thereof extends in a direction generally toward the end of said body member 1 from which said link member 6 extends. Said link 6 is pivotally connected to body member 1 beneath longitudinally extending slot 2 by means of pin 7.

At a position under said slot 2 toward the end of body member 1 toward which slot end portion 4 is located, intermediate member 8 is pivotally connected to body member 1 by means of pin 9. Intermediate member 8, which is shorter in length than first link member 6, extends downwardly from body member 1 and is pivotally connected at its lower end to second link member 10 by means of pin 11.

Second link member 10 extends from the lower end of intermediate member 8 and has a curved lower or free end portion 10a that extends in a direction generally toward the end of body member 1 from which intermediate member 8 extends. As shown in the drawings, first link member 6 and second link member 10 are positioned to cross over one another generally above the curved portions thereof, with pin 12 being provided for pivotally securing link members 6 and 10 together at the point at which said members cross.

The length of said link members and the angles of curvature of the curved portions thereof is such that the free ends of said links 6 and 10 can cooperate to grip an object therebetween when the tongs are positioned in object lifting position as herein provided. As shown in the drawings, this can conveniently be accomplished by providing link members 6 and 10 of equal length with the same curvature at the curved or lower portions thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, clamping pads 13 and 14 may be positioned in the free or lower ends of links 6 and 10, respectively, said pads being adapted to facilitating the clamping and lifting of objects upon contact of said pads 13 and 14 with an object 15 to be lifted on opposite sides thereof when an upward force is exerted in lifting member 5 while said member 5 is positioned in the end portion of slot 2 such that link members 6 and 10 are caused to move such that lower curved portions 6a and 10a move to an object gripping position.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, object 15 to be lifted is shown as a round object representing, for example, a concrete pipe section. To further facilitate the gripping of such objects, clamping pads 13 and 14 may be shaped with a curvature such as to provide contact along the length of said pads with the curved surface of the object to lifted, as illustrated in FIG. 2. It would be within the scope of the invention to provide a plurality of such clamping pads each particularly adapted by degree of curvature and the like for use in conjunction with a particular size or shape of object to be lifted, the clamping pads being conveniently mounted by any suitable means, such as mounting screws, not shown, or other known means for conveniently securing said clamping pads to the ends of the link members. In the lifting of such round objects, the curved portions 6a and are conveniently adapted so that the free ends thereof, or clamping pads 13 and 14 connected thereto, are positioned to contact and clamp round object 15 below the center line thereof, thus facilitating the lifting of said object 15. This embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawings, the link members and the clamping pads are adapted for the gripping and lifting of non-round objects, such as rectangular object 25. In this embodiment link member 16 has a curved portion and an elongated portion 16b extending generally downwardly, with clamping pad 23 attached to the lower end thereof. Link or gripping member 20 has a curved portion 20a and a generally downwardly extending elongated end section 20b with clamping pad 24 secured thereto. As with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, said link members 16 and 20 cross and are pivotally connected by means of pin 12, the portion of the link above said pin 12, not shown, being the same as was shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Clamp pads 23 and 24 are shown as being L-shaped, said pads contacting the rounded corner portions 25a of said rectangular object 25 at the end portions of said clamping pads so as to grip said object for lifting. It is also within the scope of the invention to provide clamping pads 23 and 24 having a sloping surface adapted to contact the curved portion 25a of object 25 along the length of said clamping pads to provide a greater gripping surface.

It will be apparent from the drawings and the above description that the length of each link member and its angle of curvature are not critical provided the end portions thereof, or the clamping pads attached thereto, are properly positioned so as to co-act in gripping the object to be lifted. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, therefore, the link members may not be curved in the form illustrated but many actually be of some other configuration that nevertheless results in the lower ends thereof, or said clamping pads, being properly oriented and positioned to assume the desired gripping and release positions desired. In a further modification within the scope of the invention, the link members may not actually curve back in the manner indicated, but the clamping pads attached thereto may be of such shape that the overall combination of link member and clamping pad is nevertheless equivalent to that illustrated so as to permit a proper functioning of the tongs.

In using the tongs, lifting member 5 is positioned in end portion 3 so as to support the tongs in the object releasing position shown in FIG. 1. When the tongs are placed with link members 6 and about object to be lifted, the tongs being supported by the surface on which object 15 rests, lifting member 5 is conveniently moved in slot 2 to the opposite end thereof, i.e. to end portion 4. In this position, lifting member 5 is pulled upward by the suitable power source employed to lift the tongs and object 15. The upward force of lifting member 5 causes pins 7 and 11 to rotate toward each other, pivoting about pin 9. Pins 9 and 12 are thus moved apart, and said link members 6' and 10 being caused to move toward each other so that clamping pads 13 and 14 close upon object 15 to be lifted.

With object 15 placed in a desired location, the tongs may conveniently be released by moving lifting member 5 in slot 2 to end portion 3 thereof, and causing a lifting force to be exerted on lifting member 5 while it is thus positioned. The resulting upward force of said member 5 causes link member 6 to rotate counterclockwise about pin 7, thereby transferring a'force to said link member 10 such that said pins 11 and 17 rotate in oppositedirections about said pin 7. Pins 9 and 12 are thus moved closer together, and link members 6 and 10 are caused to move apart so that clamping pads 13 and 14 are caused to open to release object 15. The tongs thus permit the gripping and release of an object to be moved simply by adjustment of lifting member 5 in slot 2, no manual adjustment of the clamping members being required.

To facilitate the positioning of lifting member 15 in object gripping and releasing positions at opposite ends of longitudinal slot 2, end portions 3 and 4 conveniently extend upward toward the top portion of the body member. For this purpose, end portions 3 and4 may be positioned at any desired angle, such as an angle of from about to about 90 with respect to the line of extension of the longitudinal slot. An angle of extension of from about to about 60 is generally suitable, with an angle of about 45 as shown in the drawings being convenient. It will be appreciated that it is not essential that end portions 3 and 4 extend at the same angle with respect to the line of extension of slot 2, so long as the end portions provide a suitable position for the hook or other lifting member to be located for upward lifting to either grip or release the object being moved.

The present invention constitutes a significant improvement in the field or object lifting devices, permitting a simplification of the lifting operation and a reduction in the manual effort required. While the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments, it will be appreciated that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Therefore, we claim:

1. Improved tongs for gripping objects for transport from one location to another comprising:

a. a body member having a longitudinally extending slot therein adapted to receive a lifting member for sliding movement of said lifting member from one end of the slot to the other, said slot having end portions thereof extending upward toward the top portion of the body member at each end thereof to retain the lifting member therein for lifting of said tongs by the upward force and movement of said lifting member;

b. a first link member extending downwardly from beneath saidlongitudinally extending slot, said link member having a curved lower portion such that the lower end thereof extends in a direction generally toward the end of said body member from which said first link member extends;

c. first pin means for rotatably securing said first link member to one end of the body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein;

d. an intermediate member extending downwardly from the opposite end of said body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein, said intermediate member being shorter in length than said first link member;

e. second pin means for pivotally securing said intermediate member to said body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein at the end of said body member opposite to that at which said first link member is secured;

f. a second link member extending from the lower end of said intermediate member, said second link member having a curved lower portion such that the free end thereof extends in a direction generally toward the end of said body member from which said intermediate member extends, said second link member and said first link member being positioned so as to cross over one another, the length of said members and the angle of curvature of the lower portions thereof being such that the ends of said first and second link members can cooperate to grip an object to be raised when the tongs are in an object lifting position;

g. third pin means for pivotally securing said second link member to said intermediate member; and

h. fourth pin means for pivotally securing said first and second link members together at the point at which said link members cross, whereby a lifting member can be inserted in said slot in the body member and moved to lifting position in the end portions of the slot, the link members moving into object gripping position about the object to be raised when said lifting member is positioned in the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said intermediate member is connected and moved upward, the upward force thereof causing said first and third pin means to rotate toward each other about said second pin means, said second and fourth pin means thus being moved apart and said first and second link members being caused to close upon the object to be raised, whereas upon sliding the lifting member to the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said first link member is connected and then moving said lifting member upward causes the link member to move into object releasing position, the upward force of the lifting member causing said first link member to rotate, thereby transferring a force to said second link member such that said third and fourth pin means rotate in opposite directions about said first pin means, said second and fourth pin means thus being moved closer together, and said first and second link members being caused to open to release the object being held, said tongs thus permitting the gripping and release of an object to be moved simply by adjustment of the lifting member in the slot, no manual adjustment of the clamping members with respect to the object to be moved being required.

2. The tongs of claim 1 and including clamping pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being adapted to facilitate the lifting of objects upon movement of such pads toward each other when the lifting member is raised while in the end portion of said slot such that the link members are caused to move to an object gripping position.

3. The tongs of claim 2 in which said clamp pads are shaped with a curvature such as to facilitate the gripping of round objects.

4. The tongs of claim 3 in which the curved portion of each link member is such that the clamp pads on the end thereof are in position to clamp round objects below the center line thereof, thus facilitating the lifting of said round objects.

5. The tongs of claim 4 in which said first and second link members are of equal length and degree of curvature.

6. The tongs of claim 4 in which the angle between the direction of extension of said end portions of the slot in said body member and the line of extension of said longitudinally extending slot is from about 30 to about 60.

7. The tongs of claim 6 in which said angle of extension is about 45.

8. The tongs of claim 4 and including lifting means, the end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.

9. The tongs of claim 1 in which said end portions of the longitudinal slot extend upward toward the top portion of said body member at an angle of from about 20 to about 90 with respect to the line of extension of said slot.

10. The tongs of claim 9 in which said angle of extension of the end portions of said slot is from about 30 to about 60.

11. The tongs of claim 10 in which said angle between the orientation of said end portions of the slot in said body member and said line of extension of said slot is about 45.

12. The tongs of claim 10 in which said first link member is positioned beneath the longitudinally extending slot in the body member at such a position that, when said tongs are in object lifting position, the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said first link member is secured is outside the line of extension between said first and said fourth pin means, said intermediate member being positioned beneath said slot at such a position that, when said tongs are in object releasing position, the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said intermediate member is secured is outside the line of extension between said second and fourth in means.

13. e tongs of claim 12 and including clamp pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being shaped so as to facilitate the gripping of round objects, the curved portion of each link member being such that the clamp pads are in position to clamp round objects below the center line thereof, thus facilitating the lifting of said round objects.

14. The tongs of claim 12 and including clamp pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being shaped so as to facilitate the gripping of non-round objects.

15. The tongs of claim 14 in which the lower ends of said first and second link members comprise elongated portions extending generally downwardly from said curved lower portions thereof.

16. The tongs of claim 15 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.

17. The tongs of claim 16 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.

18. The tongs of claim 10 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit into said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.

19. The tongs of claim 18 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.

20. The tongs of claim 1 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.

21. The tongs of claim 20 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.

22. The tongs of claim 1 in which said curved lower portions of said first and second link members are adapted to close upon non-round objects upon movement thereof to object gripping position.

23. The tongs of claim 22 and including clamping pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being adapted to facilitate the lifting of non-round objects upon movement of such pads toward each other when the lifting member is raised while in the end portion of the slot such that said link members are caused to move to an object gripping position.

24. The tongs of claim 23 in which said clamp pads are shaped to facilitate the gripping of said non-round objects for support upon lifting thereof.

25. The tongs of claim 24 in which the lower ends of said first and second link members comprise elongated portions of said members extending generally downwardly from said curved lower portions thereof.

I UNETED STATES PATENT @FF1CE @ERTHFEQATE @F @QRRTEQTE@N Patent No. 9 117 v Datea 001;. 10 1972 Inventor) Clarence E Larson ei: al

It is certified that error app'ers in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected asshown below:

Column 4; line 56, "many" should be may Column 5, line 52, or" shouldbe of Q Signed and sealed this 10th day of July 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Rene Tegtmeyer Attesting Officer Acting Commissioner-0f Patents F ORM O-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 60376-P69 0 u S, GOVERNMENT v 'nm: orrlcz 19 9 0-355-3744 

1. Improved tongs for gripping objects for transport from one location to another comprising: a. a body member having a longitudinally extending slot therein adapted to receive a lifting member for sliding movement of said lifting member from one end of the slot to the other, said slot having end portions thereof extending upward toward the top portion of the body member at each end thereof to retain the lifting member therein for lifting of said tongs by the upward force and movement of said lifting member; b. a first link member extending downwardly from beneath said longitudinally extending slot, said link member having a curved lower portion such that the lower end thereof extends in a direction generally toward the end of said body member from which said first link member extends; c. first pin means for rotatably securing said first link member to one end of the body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein; d. an intermediate member extending downwardly from the opposite end of said body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein, said intermediate member being shorter in length than said first link member; e. second pin means for pivotally securing said intermediate member to said body member beneath the longitudinally extending slot therein at the end of said body member opposite to that at which said first link member is secured; f. a second link member extending from the lower end of said intermediate member, said second link member having a curved lower portion such that the free end thereof extends in a direction generally toward the end of said body member from which said intermediate member extends, said second link member and said first link member being positioned so as to cross over one another, the length of said members and the angle of curvature of the lower portions thereof being such that the ends of said first and second link members can cooperate to grip an object to be raised when the tongs are in an object lifting position; g. third pin means for pivotally securing said second link member to said intermediate member; and h. fourth pin means for pivotally securing said first and second link members together at the point at which said link members cross, whereby a lifting member can be inserted in said slot in the body member and moved to lifting position in The end portions of the slot, the link members moving into object gripping position about the object to be raised when said lifting member is positioned in the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said intermediate member is connected and moved upward, the upward force thereof causing said first and third pin means to rotate toward each other about said second pin means, said second and fourth pin means thus being moved apart and said first and second link members being caused to close upon the object to be raised, whereas upon sliding the lifting member to the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said first link member is connected and then moving said lifting member upward causes the link member to move into object releasing position, the upward force of the lifting member causing said first link member to rotate, thereby transferring a force to said second link member such that said third and fourth pin means rotate in opposite directions about said first pin means, said second and fourth pin means thus being moved closer together, and said first and second link members being caused to open to release the object being held, said tongs thus permitting the gripping and release of an object to be moved simply by adjustment of the lifting member in the slot, no manual adjustment of the clamping members with respect to the object to be moved being required.
 2. The tongs of claim 1 and including clamping pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being adapted to facilitate the lifting of objects upon movement of such pads toward each other when the lifting member is raised while in the end portion of said slot such that the link members are caused to move to an object gripping position.
 3. The tongs of claim 2 in which said clamp pads are shaped with a curvature such as to facilitate the gripping of round objects.
 4. The tongs of claim 3 in which the curved portion of each link member is such that the clamp pads on the end thereof are in position to clamp round objects below the center line thereof, thus facilitating the lifting of said round objects.
 5. The tongs of claim 4 in which said first and second link members are of equal length and degree of curvature.
 6. The tongs of claim 4 in which the angle between the direction of extension of said end portions of the slot in said body member and the line of extension of said longitudinally extending slot is from about 30* to about 60*.
 7. The tongs of claim 6 in which said angle of extension is about 45*.
 8. The tongs of claim 4 and including lifting means, the end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.
 9. The tongs of claim 1 in which said end portions of the longitudinal slot extend upward toward the top portion of said body member at an angle of from about 20* to about 90* with respect to the line of extension of said slot.
 10. The tongs of claim 9 in which said angle of extension of the end portions of said slot is from about 30* to about 60*.
 11. The tongs of claim 10 in which said angle between the orientation of said end portions of the slot in said body member and said line of extension of said slot is about 45*.
 12. The tongs of claim 10 in which said first link member is positioned beneath the longitudinally extending slot in the body member at such a position that, when said tongs are in object lifting position, the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said first link member is secured is outside the line of extension between said first and said fourth pin means, said intermediate member being positioned beneath said slot at such a position that, when said tongs are in object releasing position, the end portion of the slot at the end of the body member toward which said intermediate member is secured is outsidE the line of extension between said second and fourth pin means.
 13. The tongs of claim 12 and including clamp pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being shaped so as to facilitate the gripping of round objects, the curved portion of each link member being such that the clamp pads are in position to clamp round objects below the center line thereof, thus facilitating the lifting of said round objects.
 14. The tongs of claim 12 and including clamp pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being shaped so as to facilitate the gripping of non-round objects.
 15. The tongs of claim 14 in which the lower ends of said first and second link members comprise elongated portions extending generally downwardly from said curved lower portions thereof.
 16. The tongs of claim 15 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.
 17. The tongs of claim 16 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.
 18. The tongs of claim 10 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit into said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.
 19. The tongs of claim 18 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.
 20. The tongs of claim 1 and including lifting means, the lower end portion thereof being adapted to fit in said longitudinally extending slot for movement between the end portions thereof.
 21. The tongs of claim 20 in which the lower end portion of said lifting means comprises a hook.
 22. The tongs of claim 1 in which said curved lower portions of said first and second link members are adapted to close upon non-round objects upon movement thereof to object gripping position.
 23. The tongs of claim 22 and including clamping pads positioned on the lower ends of said first and second link members, said clamp pads being adapted to facilitate the lifting of non-round objects upon movement of such pads toward each other when the lifting member is raised while in the end portion of the slot such that said link members are caused to move to an object gripping position.
 24. The tongs of claim 23 in which said clamp pads are shaped to facilitate the gripping of said non-round objects for support upon lifting thereof.
 25. The tongs of claim 24 in which the lower ends of said first and second link members comprise elongated portions of said members extending generally downwardly from said curved lower portions thereof. 